Tarte
Toll lane advisors will look at I-77 options, including ‘complete and delete’
By Dave Vieser and Dave Yochum. Just when it seemed as if the state has hemmed and hawed as much as it can on the I-77 toll lane debacle, the NCDOT is putting together a new advisory group “to learn the advantages, disadvantages, costs and timelines” of the options presented this fall by Mercator Advisors, […]
Toll battle shifts to NC Senate
June 6. ANALYSIS. By Dave Vieser. What happened last week with House Bill 954, which calls for the cancelation of the I-77 toll lane contract, was nothing short of amazing. The legislation was initially given virtually no chance of passing when it was first introduced. Then as troubling details about the Cintra toll lane contract […]
Cintra hints of possible legal action against critic of toll plan
By Dave Yochum. The fight against the plan to widen I-77 with the help of a company whose roots are in Spain continues to escalate, with a lawsuit, another bill in Raleigh and even the threat of legal action against someone who has spoken out against I-77 Mobility partners, the new entity that will build the […]
LKN business leaders bus to Raleigh Tuesday to oppose toll plan
June 29. Lake Norman-area business leaders, ranging from bankers and racing executives to commercial real estate brokers and manufacturers, will travel by bus to the North Carolina State Capitol tomorrow to visibly join the fight against the public-private partnership that would widen I-77 with toll lanes. “I intend to call out that the NCDOT has […]
LKN Chamber will come out against toll lanes
June 23. By Dave Yochum. The Lake Norman Chamber of Commerce will officially come out against the plan to widen I-77 with toll lanes and a 50-year contract with a company whose roots are in Spain. The chamber’s resolution, passed by its board of directors last night, requests that the contract with I-77 Mobility Partners be […]
OPINION: It’s time to back Widen I-77 and fight the tolls
It’s been an interesting news period these past few months. The I-77 toll battle has turned into a full-fledged citizen movement with the business community climbing on in earnest in May, thanks in large part to John “Mac” McAlpine V, a racing industry engineer in Cornelius. (Yes, his family is the McAlpine in the McAlpine […]
Buses will take business leaders to Raleigh to fight tolls June 30
June 17. By Dave Yochum. NC Sen. Jeff Tarte says he will meet with Lake Norman business owners June 30 in Raleigh as part of the ongoing battle to fight NCDOT plans to improve I-77 between Charlotte and Mooresville with toll lanes. He has reserved the press room in the State Capitol at noon on […]
Toll resolution on deck tonight at Davidson Town Hall
June 9. Tonight’s Davidson Town Board meeting may be another litmus test in the battle to defund the $650 million plan to widen I-77 between Lake Norman and Charlotte with the help of toll lanes and a company from Spain. Town Commissioner James Fuller is expected to propose a resolution that backs NC Sen. Jeff […]
I-77 toll controversy highlights worries about clout in Raleigh
By Dave Vieser. With Pat McCrory’s election in 2012 and Republicans holding a majority in the state legislature, things seemed to be looking up for Lake Norman. With a strong GOP lineup came expectations of increased help from Raleigh for critical infrastructure needs, especially in the transportation spectrum. Two years later, town boards around Lake Norman, […]
‘Emergency Call to Action’ on tolls comes from business leaders, not LKN Chamber
ANALYSIS. May 26. An “I-77 Business Transportation Summit” will be held at Michael Waltrip Racing at 4 pm Thursday. The hosts are power brokers in the Lake Norman business, tourism and economic scene: Larry Johns, chief financial officer of Michael Waltrip Racing in Cornelius, and Richard Zulman, CEO of BestCo, formerly BestSweet, a major employer in Mooresville.The business leaders are stirring […]
